The Baltimore Ravens are bracing for a multi-week suspension of Smith for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, multiple sources tell Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Smith is appealing the suspension and was scheduled to meet with league officials Monday as part of the appeal process.
Smith left the team over the weekend after the two days of joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and didn't feature in their recent preseason matchup.
“Personal issue. He had a personal issue he was taking care of, so he was excused,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.
It remains unclear what the exact nature of Smith’s violation is. However, it may have something to do with his ongoing child custody case between Smith and Micaela Sanchez, the mother of his first child. Sanchez accused Smith of domestic violence last year, although he denied those allegations and hasn’t faced any criminal charges.
Smith, who was also suspended for four games last season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, had just returned after a surprisingly quick recovery from a torn Achilles he suffered in December. He played and started 12 games and tied a career-high with three interceptions.
Zrebiec notes that the Ravens have been aware of Smith’s looming suspension for a while. That likely explains their interest in veteran cornerback Bashaud Breeland despite their reasonable depth at the position.
But while they were unable to seal a deal with Breeland, the Ravens should still have enough at cornerback with the likes of Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Maurice Canady, and Tavon Young to weather Smith’s potential absence.
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